Bad Guys, Super Soldiers, and Kids Oh My!
by NeaKelty
Summary: Being a Nanny was supposed to be easy. Ri loved the kids she is taking care of, and the life she was building. Que an alien invasion and things got all topsy turvy. Who knew that saving a super hero in the heat of battle could lead to so many changes? Humor, Love, Angst, and life in the midst of loving a man that just cant help but save the world. What could go wrong? Steve/OC
1. Chapter One: The Invasion

Authors Note:

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this! This is the first story that I have posted, and the first one in this fandom that I have ever written. I hope you guys like it!

 _Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers or any of the characters except the ones that I invented like Ri. Unfortunately. The plot of the story is my own except for the parts that come from the plots of the movies in MCU._

Chapter One:

Dust and debris rained down all around the city as terrified people ran for the relative safety of the buildings and shops lining the street. The upper floors seemed to crumble like sand against the onslaught of what could only be an alien army. Ri stood on the sidewalk letting the crowd rush around her. She brushed her chocolate brown hair out of her eyes and stared up in disbelief as a giant green man that could only be the Hulk tackled what looked to be a mechanical flying lizard spaceship two streets down. It was apparently going to be one hell of a Monday morning as it seemed reality had just flown out the window. Ri was really starting to wish she had gotten that second espresso shot in her coffee that morning. A sudden loud noise in the background had her spinning and rapidly ducking a flying piece of concrete before it clobbered her to the street. The anguished cry behind her told her that someone hadn't been as lucky but Ri didn't have the ability to check on them due to the fact that a hover board with an alien on it was trying to decimate anything that moved.

Ri knew she was in trouble because there weren't a lot of places that were safe from alien lasers as far as she could see. She had run out of the small boutique on the left side of the street because the hover board riding aliens were shooting people through the glass store fronts and she didn't have any desire to be a fish in a barrel. So, she did the only thing she could think to do; she turned and ran towards the corner. A noise from behind her had Ri's head turning. A fresh wave of hover board aliens had rounded the corner and it sent an icy spear of panic through her heart. There was nowhere to hide, nowhere safe from these things. Not watching where she was going, Ri tripped and her body slammed into a crater in the earth. Ri groaned and pushed her body up while she shook her head to clear it. As she picked herself up off the ground she noticed that she was standing in a crater made by a falling hovercraft. The aliens were getting closer and closer but Ri stood frozen. She had an idea. It was a crazy idea, and she was pretty sure that it was suicide, but she was literally standing in proof that said that the aliens couldn't penetrate the street. The aliens were almost to her block and any sane person would have taken cover but she knew that there was a subway entrance just a block or so over. It was the same subway entrance she had come out of just a few short hours before. If she got back there she could get back to the hotel and two of the most important people in her life. Running was something that wasn't new to her, thanks to her grandfather, although dodging debris and flying aliens definitely was. She managed to doge to the corner of the block and pressed herself to the wall. Closing her eyes she centered herself and took a deep breath before she cautiously leaned around the corner and came face to face with a redhead woman dressed like a sexy ninja. She shrieked and stumbled back around the corner as the woman reached to steady her.

"Jesus Christ!" Ri cried as she was slammed against the wall and started to protest loudly at her rough treatment. The woman shushed her before ranting in Russian about idiotic girls getting themselves killed trying to spot the hot super heroes. Ri's eyes narrowed at the woman.

"You know I speak Russian right? And I'm not trying to spy on super heroes. There's a subway entrance right over there and it's the closest one to here. Those things don't seem to be able to do much damage to the ground even when they crash. Running into a building is just asking to be killed but the subway? I can get out of here." The redhead looked back at her analyzing her statement.

"Really? Russian? That's a first." The woman looked back around the corner and took aim at more of the invading alien force. After shooting another one out of the sky she resumed studying Ri like nothing had even happened. "Look, I don't have time to babysit little girls that don't know when to hide. So you are going to have to-" a loud bang sounded and a hulk roar came from around the corner that had both women leaning to see what happened. The redhead swore in Russian again when they saw the Hulk appear before leaping up the building a floor at a time. More and more aliens were attacking two men in the street, both of which were armed with the most ridiculous of weapons; a hammer and a shield. Narrowing her eyes Ri thought she recognized the one man as Captain America. "I know Barton. I'm on my way back, just dealing with a little civilian insubordination first." The redhead woman kept surveying the scene trying to figure out the best way to help when Ri spotted a man with a bow high on the roof ready to fire.

"I don't have time for this. Just go back the way you came. I am barely going to make it back to the rest of them without having to watch out for—" The redhead started while still looking for escape routes.

"There!" Ri yelled pointing up. The other woman sighed and looked back at her with a calculating look. Ri rolled her eyes. "Look, I know you don't know me and I know you think I'm an idiot but you really need to calm down for a second and think. That arrow guy is going to draw fire and with the alien thingies already taking hits from the other heroes they are going to be pretty distracted. So, if we sneak along the wall and go from barrier to barrier and fallen car to fallen car we can sneak close enough that you can help and I can get to the subway." The redhead sighed and rubbed her temples.

"I must be crazy. If we survive this we can talk about how the hell you came up with that plan. Stay low and move fast." The redhead took a breath before crouching and pulling out a fresh gun. "I'm going to count to three and we go. Ready?" She asked without looking. Ri huffed and crouched while voicing her affirmative. The redhead counted down with her fingers and then took off faster than Ri thought she would. As she fought to keep up while still staying low, Ri watched their surroundings. She wasn't a combat veteran by any means but she at least wanted to see her death coming. As they moved from obstacle to obstacle, Ri noticed that the man with the bow started covering them and sank a little lower to the ground. If he saw them, then the aliens would too. They finally made it near the fighting when the redhead stopped and turned to her to make sure she was still there.

"Okay, this is where it gets dicey." The redhead set her gun down on the ground between them. She quickly grabbed a discarded alien spear off the ground and swung it around to shoot bolts of blue lightning at the invading force.

"It wasn't dicey before? If it wasn't for arrow guy up there we would have been toast! Also, how in the good god damn do you know how to work that thingy?!" Ri demanded. The redhead smiled at her before taking out another hover board that zoomed too close. "Clint can you get these things off of me? I'm taking too much fire to advance." The redhead listened and then scowled at the arrow guy on the roof. "Fine. Can someone else give me a hand? Clint has his hands full with Stark." Ri suddenly had an epiphany.

"Wait… TONY Stark? Iron man? THAT'S who you're taking to?!" Ri practically yelled in excitement. The redhead laughed lightly and it sounded incredibly out of place in the middle of the battle. Taking out a few more aliens, the redhead got a more serious look on her face. "Go, Ill cover you." She turned and shot five bolts of energy in quick succession and Ri realized that they were about to be pancaked and charbroiled by a crashing hover board. However, just before that could happen, a red and blue blur pushed her to the ground violently and covered her body with theirs. Ri screamed and covered her face in fear. When the heat receded, she looked up into the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen.

"I heard someone needed a rescue. Nat." He nodded to the redhead and then at Ri, "Ma'am." She gaped at him as the shock wore off and she realized that none other than Captain America himself had just saved her life.

"Uh… Hi?" She mumbled incoherently. The Captain looked to Nat in question and Nat just laughed again before taking out another alien with the spear.

"What are you doing involving a civilian in this fiasco?" The redhead rolled her eyes while the captain threw his shield. They watched it rebound of two aliens, a car, and zoom heavily back into his hand.

"She involved herself."

"She is standing right here," Ri grumbled. They looked at her skeptically and began to try to formulate a plan to get all of them to safety. While they were talking hurriedly, Ri noticed movement from just behind her newfound savior. Without thinking she reached over and grabbed the gun Nat had set down in favor of the alien spear and pointed it right at Captain Americas head. Both Nat and the Captain looked at her in utter shock and confusion before she yelled, "Down!" and stood up slightly to get a better center of gravity. He ducked just as she fired three quick rounds into the head of the alien that had managed to somehow survive the hover board crash. It fell and the two heroes pulled Ri back to the ground before another alien could take advantage of her raised stance. Ri closed her eyes in relief, knowing that she had just gotten really really lucky.

"Who the hell are you?!" The redhead was looking at her as if trying to decide if she was dangerous, lucky as all hell, or just plain stupid.

"I was wondering that myself, ma'am, if I'm honest." Captain America asked her. Ri just shook as the adrenaline started to wear off looking back and forth between them dumbfounded.

"Oh… uh….. I ….." Nat and the Captain looked at each other communicating silently before Nat reached over and grabbed both sides of her face, forcing Ri to look into her eyes.

"Okay, you're doing great. Breathe." Ri took a deep breath and the woman smiled at her while the Captain covered them. "The shock should wear off in a few seconds. I need you to concentrate. We have to get to safety. You hear me? We are almost there. You can do this." Ri blinked at her before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She opened her eyes and looked into the woman's eyes before nodding.

"I think I'm okay. Did I just kill an alien?! Holy crap. Okay. Focus. What do we do now?" The redhead looked at her for a second before turning to the Captain.

"That's a good question. Steve? You wanna take this one?" Steve turned around and looked intensely at Ri and then back up the street.

"There seems to be an opportunity here since all of the Avengers are in one place. Let's go and go fast back towards that barricade and we can get her and the rest of the civilians into the subway entrance. That's where we have to defend. It's collapsed partway in according to the police but there's at least reliable cover." He looked back at the two women and smiled tightly, reaching a hand out to pull Ri to her feet. "You ready?" Ri nodded and he got ready to lead them off towards the barricade and the civilians that Thor was guarding. Captain America put his hand to his com and started to give orders. "Ok, here is how it's going to go. Nat and I are going to lead this civilian over to you Thor and then we are going to get the rest of these people into the subway. The police can hold that position until we get a handle on this alien situation. Once that happens we can get these people to better safety. Tony, Clint, cover us." Cap took off first followed immediately by a still trembling Ri, with the redhead taking up the rear to cover their backs. After taking out a few more aliens and having hover boards fall around them like rain as the rest of the Avengers covered their escape, the trio finally made it to the last group of civilians. The Avengers escorted the group to the entrance of the subway and Ri turned to look at the redhead while the other civilians took off down the steps.

"Thank you, warrior ninja woman," Ri said with a smirk. "I have no idea who you are but thank you." The redhead laughed and Captain America smiled about to say something to her but a loud roar cut off any hope of conversation. An influx of aliens seemed to be pouring out of the hole in the sky. The redhead pushed Ri towards the stairs as she and the rest of the Avengers geared up for another attack. Captain America started calling out orders over the coms. The redhead yelled at her to run so she turned and took the stairs as fast as she could. When she got to the bottom she was out of breath and shaking like a leaf. When she went to run her fingers through her hair she realized she was still holding the redheads gun tightly in her hand.

"Now what the hell do I do with this?!" she thought frantically. The ground above their heads rumbled and shook under the weight of the battle and Ri slunk back against the wall. The officers were looking up the stairs and holding their guns at the ready, but Ri didn't feel brave enough to join them. Tucking the gun into the messenger bag she had slung over her shoulders, she took a deep breath and walked further away from the entrance. Ri cowered against the wall for a second trying not to cry as the adrenaline wore off further. She slowly slid down the wall and wrapped her arms around her knees. Hopefully it all would be over soon she thought as she prayed she wouldn't need to use the gun again. Thinking back to the people that saved her life she hoped she would get to see them again. She allowed herself a small smile; she had met Captain America! Her grandfather was never going to believe this.


	2. Chapter 2: Later that day

_Disclaimer: I still don't own anything to do with Marvel. If I did, I would be writing this from a beach instead of somewhere currently getting a lot of snow._

Enjoy!

Chapter Two:

Waiting for the battle to end was the longest hour of RI's life. She had no idea what was going on above and more than once the police officers had to storm the staircase and take out aliens that had gotten too close. She had no idea what was happening with the super heroes above her, but they had obviously wandered further from their little hideout than they had previously let on. Not that Ri blamed them of course, there were millions of other people in the city that needed saving and they couldn't be everywhere. Her grandfather had taught her that sometimes you had to be your own hero, and if she was being honest with herself that was the only reason she hadn't just stayed in a shop today. Of course that didn't mean he wasn't going to chew her out for risking her life. Hopefully she could gloss over that part, but somehow she didn't think she could get away with that. Her grandfather was a smart man and his old age seemed to have strengthened his mind instead of weakening it. He had been the one to teach her how to survive whatever the world threw at her and today, more than ever before, she was so grateful for that.

Most of the crowd cowered together at the back of the tunnel by where the collapse had happened. However, she stuck closer to the police line and sat on the floor so she could see up the staircase. Ri knew that it was a bit dangerous, but it was worth the minimal risk so that she could see a little bit and breathe the slightly fresher air that occasionally wafted down the stairs from above. It was absolutely stifling in the tunnel. The constant state of adrenaline was wearing her patience thin so she pulled out her phone and tried to call out on it. Of course, because everyone else in the city was trying to do the same thing just then, all circuits were busy. She sighed deeply again and one of the cops that was keeping the civilians back came over to check on her.

"You ok ma'am? No injuries?" he looked down on her in concern. She tried to smile up at him, but she was worn out from the constant state of adrenaline.

"Not anything serious that I can tell; a few bumps and bruises, maybe a sprained wrist. I was pretty lucky. I am exhausted though." He nodded and before he could respond his radio clicked to life.

"This is dispatch, relax your positions. Threat level returning to normal. Standby." Ri smiled a genuine smile and a cheer went up from those that could hear the radios. Word was quickly spreading that this was almost over. The officer offered her a hand up and as he pulled her to her feet the officer in charge of their little group called for quiet.

"Listen up! The situation may be calming down, but until we get an all clear we are going to stay down here. Once there is an all clear, we will be exiting the tunnel and moving to ground level where you will have to exit the blast zone. The last I heard there was a radius of 15 blocks that will be blocked off this afternoon and through the night so that we can get assess the situation and make sure that none of those things survived. Is that clear?" Ri tuned everything else out and knew that she had to get to her job. Grace was probably terrified and lord knew her mother didn't know how to calm her down. Toby was made of stronger stuff, but he was a bit older than his sister was and usually looked out for her. She had followed the family to New York to help the senator and his wife care for their kids during the holiday and was enjoying one of her few afternoons off when this tragedy struck. She wished like hell she had just stayed at the hotel and gone to relax at the pool instead of trying to sight see, but she hadn't. The people in the tunnel got really quiet trying to listen to the dispatch radios and just as people began to relax, the most stunning thing happened. Her phone, which she had discarded into the depths of her bag, started loudly playing her ring tone, which just happened to be "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-A-Lot. Diving into her bag frantically with the people around her staring at her first in shock and then general amusement, Ri felt her face redden considerably. She answered it as soon as she could just to get the embarrassing music to stop.

"Hello?" she snapped into the phone while cowering back against the wall and trying to disappear. A strong voice on the other end of the phone brought made her jaw drop.

"Etta you are in so much trouble young lady!" Ri smacked the back of her head against the wall and groaned.

"Grandpa DD I –" RI started to explain.

"Don't you Grandpa DD me! You are supposed to be following that senator around and watching his two little rascals, not charging into danger with Captain America all over my TV!" Ri gasped in shock.

"That was on TV?! Are you kidding me?!" Her grandfather let out a chuckle.

"You did a fine job Etta, now you need to get back to those kids. The senator has been trying to reach you for an hour. Where are you bug?" Etta sighed at his use of her childhood nickname.

"I'm in an entrance to the subway not far from Stark Tower. They won't let us leave just yet. Did Senator Killian say where the children were? His wife is probably freaking out. She can't handle them at the best of times let alone in a crisis."

"They are in the basement of the hotel. I'll have a SHIELD vehicle waiting for you at the entrance to that subway you're in in two minutes. I tracked your phone. Now, hand the phone to the officer in charge please." Ri smiled gratefully even as she rolled her eyes.

"Yes Grandpa." He coughed into the other end of the phone.

"Oh, and Bug?"

"Yeah Grandpa?"

"This isn't the end of that discussion about running into danger. Do your job and call me back when those kids go to sleep tonight." Ri groaned again as he laughed. "Now, get your butt moving. SHIELD is almost there to get you." Ri went up to the officer that seemed to be in charge and explained that she was part of a government agency and one of the founders wanted to talk to him on the phone. He looked annoyed, but took the phone from her anyways. After a short conversation, and argument that made Ri smile at her grandfather's abilities to get anyone to do what he wanted, the officer ended the call. He handed back her phone and motioned her over to the base of the stairs just as two big black SUVs pulled up. A man got out of the passenger side and jogged down the stairs stopping just in front of her.

"Are you Dugan?" She smiled up at him and nodded. "I'll take her from here officers. Thank you." The tall man motioned her to follow and they climbed into one of the waiting vehicles. "Your grandfather is a very powerful man. SHIELD doesn't usually send specialists to play taxi to normal civilians."

"I know. What's your name agent?" he glanced over his shoulder at her appraisingly before he turned fully and stuck out his hand.

"Ward. Grant Ward." Ri laughed softly and shook his hand.

"Like James bond?" Ward gave her a stern look before turning back to the front and scanning out the windows for threats. "You can call me Ri. I'll put in a good word with my grandfather if you don't call me by my whole name." Ward smirked at her, but stayed silent. The drive took longer than she had hoped and the driver had stayed silent most of the time adding to the tension by making the car feel very awkward. Soon enough they were at the entrance to the hotel she had been staying in. It looked mostly intact, but had some minimal damage. "Is the building sound?" she asked worriedly. Ward nodded.

"Yeah, just some outside damage, nothing big. Now, the kids and their mom are with their security detail in the basement of the building, but they are headed up to their room shortly. I will get you to your room and then you are on your own. Their security will take it from there." Ri nodded at him in confirmation making sure she had all of her stuff and slung the bag over her shoulder again. Ward opened the car door and practically drug her to the door to the hotel.

"Jeez Ward you in a hurry or something?" He glared around looking for threats without responding, ushering her inside the building.

"Just eager to get out of the open." They crossed the overly extravagant lobby and waited for the elevator for what seemed like forever. There had been a tense argument when she refused to take the stairs to the top floor. Grant didn't see why she didn't want to walk all 67 flights of stairs. In retaliation, she let him think they had to wait for an empty elevator to be able to get to the top floor. For five minutes, she made him stand there just to see him squirm. Finally, a hotel worker spoiled her fun by pointing out the private elevator to the presidential suite assuming she forgot. He seemed quite annoyed and she kept trying not to laugh at his fidgeting.

"You look like a guy that needs to lighten up a bit. Do you ever let loose?" He looked at her as if she had told him he had to wade through a sewer and she rolled her eyes. "You need to get out more."

"I get out plenty. I spend a lot of time out actually," he said defensively. Ri looked at him in disbelief.

"For fun?" He smirked at her as the elevator finally opened.

"That depends what you think is fun." Ri rolled her eyes as she stepped into the ridiculous elevator. Why fancy hotels thought that elevators should be gold and mirrored with garish carpet was beyond her, but apparently, it made sense to the rich. Ward grimaced at the elevator too and she giggled. However, once she started laughing she just couldn't stop. Ward looked at her uneasily as her laughter turned to tears and she slid down the wall to sit on the floor. He let out a long-suffering sigh as he reached over and stopped the elevator.

"You can't fall apart on me. This is the one thing I'm not trained in. I'm an assassin not some touchy feely therapist." He sat down on the floor next to her and she leaned her head to rest on his shoulder. He sat with her while she cried and put his arm around her shoulder awkwardly. He had never been good with crying females, but seeing as she buried her head in his chest and was getting his shirt all soggy, he figured he wasn't doing too horridly. He awkwardly patted her head as her sobs lessened and she sat up a bit straighter looking into his face with her puffy eyes.

"Sorry," she mumbled as she moved away drying her eyes. She took a shaky breath and looked up at him nervously biting her lip as if she expected him to make fun of her. He bumped her shoulder with his making her laugh again while she dried her eyes on the hem of her shirt.

"You ready to go?" Ri nodded at him and he smirked at her. "Good. I've had enough of your silly little girl emotions. I need to get back to work."

"Shut up Ward." He chuckled as he helped her to her feet and he restarted the elevator. She couldn't believe that she had fallen apart on some random agent that she had never met before. She looked at herself in the mirror and tried to make it seem like she wasn't just balling her eyes out so that Gracie and Toby didn't worry about her. Ward watched her speculatively. "Can I help you with something Agent Tight Ass?" His smirk increased and he walked forward with his hand out.

"Give me your phone." She looked at him dumbfounded.

"What?" He rolled his eyes and took her phone from her back pocket of her jeans. "Hey! Give it back!"

"Just a minute! Damn you're a pain in my ass." She smacked him across the arm and he handed the phone back to her. "I put my number in your phone. If you need me, or get yourself into any kind of trouble, text that number. If I'm around I'll come help." She narrowed her eyes at his casual demeanor.

"You're doing this so that I tell my grandfather you were nice to me aren't you." He laughed and pushed her just hard enough to make her sway to the side.

"Partly. That and because you owe me a new shirt. You got snot on this one. Its hazard waste now." Her mouth dropped open in shock and he laughed at her while moving away. She punched him in the arm and he just laughed at her more.

"Jerk," she muttered darkly at him. He just smirked at her.

"That's accurate. Seriously, though. You have my number; use it if you need it." She nodded at him and thought about telling him about the gun tucked safely in her purse, but she decided against it. She wanted to take care of it on her own without involving her grandfather. Involving Ward would involve SHIELD, and if SHIELD knew so would Grandpa DD. The doors opened to the top floor and she noticed that security wasn't on standby. She started to survey the room for damage when a little blonde girl that looked to be just about two came bolting out from behind the couch with her arms in the air. Ri scooped her up like she had done a thousand times before and hugged her close.

"Gracie bean! How's my best girl?" the little girl snuggled in closer as a little boy came running from the room off to the right of the suite and slammed into her side. She wrapped one of her arms around him and knelt to the ground balancing the baby on her knee. Enveloping the older boy into her hug, she closed her eyes for just a second. "Toby! I was so worried about you guys." She moved away far enough to study the boy's face as she talked. "Are you ok?"

"Yes Miss Ri." Toby looked over her shoulder and moved to stand just a bit closer when he spotted Ward. "Who is that man?" Ri stood again and balanced the girl on her hip while she reached for Toby's hand.

"This is my friend Grant Ward. He got me here safely when I was stuck in the city and couldn't get back to you. Would you like to say hi?" The little girl buried her head further into Ri's shoulder while Toby stepped forward just a bit to stand in front of her. Ri gave Ward a pleading look and he sighed and kneeled down to talk to the child.

"Hey buddy, how are you doing?" Toby smiled at him and tilted his head as if evaluating him.

"Are you a police officer?" Ri smiled and Grant felt confused.

"What do you mean?" Toby pointed to Wards waist.

"You have a gun. Maybe two. Can I see your badge?" Ward smiled at the kid genuinely.

"I'm not a policeman. I work for the government, kind of like a spy does." The kid nodded and turned to Ri.

"Can you make lunch? Mommy didn't make lunch." Ri closed her eyes in exasperation and nodded.

"You go play at the table and I'll make lunch after I tell Grant goodbye. Can you say bye?" Toby waved at him before turning and going to the table to color.

"Thank you for your help Ward." He went to shake her hand and she caught him in a one armed hug. He barely kept the shock from his face before his expression changed to one of carefully placed annoyance.

"I'm not a hugger." She laughed while he glared and the baby peeked shyly at him from her hiding place in Ri's neck.

"Yeah well I am so get used to it." Her expression turned serious for a moment before she spoke again. "You be safe out there. It's a new world now."

"You too, Ma'am." He turned and walked into the elevator and she waved to him as the doors closed. Sighing Ri walked to the small kitchen that the expensive suite boasted and set the baby down on the counter to look her over. The kids seemed okay, yet there was no sighting of either the mother or her security detail present in the loft. Now that they were alone, the little girl seemed a bit more open although she still looked around nervously.

"Where is your stuffy Gracie?" the little girl raised her hands and shoulders in a shrug.

"I no no eider!" Ri smiled at her and then looked over at Toby. "Toby do you have any ideas?" The little boy pointed to over by the couch and she took Grace to see if they could find it. It took a few moments, but they found the little purple bunny under the couch. Depositing her bag on the edge of the couch, she went back to the kitchen and sat Gracie on the counter again.

"What do you want for lunch buddy? We have mac and cheese or pb&j." He thought it over for a second and decided on peanut butter. As she made lunch and sang songs to the little girl on the counter, she wondered where the hell their mother and her security was. Originally, she had assumed they were in the main bedroom, but the longer it went without a response the more skeptical she became. She fed them lunch and had played 'catch the baby' chasing them around the couch. She got them settled into their naptime before their father finally made it back to the penthouse looking exhausted. Ri let him check on the kids while she cleaned knowing he would be right back. He wasn't a bad parent by any stretch of the imagination, but his job with Washington kept him extremely busy. By the time he got back, she had cleaned the kitchen and was tidying up the toys. He sighed and sat down heavily on the couch. Ri hung her bag from the hook on the wall by the closet as she made her way into the kitchen. It was habit now to do that in order to prevent Gracie from dumping it like she usually tried to do after her nap.

"Would you like a cup of coffee, Senator? I just made a pot." He looked up at her with an unreadable expression before nodding.

"I would love some. I can get it if you're busy. And it's just Robert. How many times have I asked you to call me that?" Ri smiled at him sadly while she started making his coffee.

"Probably about a million by now." He smiled tiredly at her.

"Then why aren't you actually doing it? You're practically family now Ri, it's silly that you call me by my title."

"Because your wife glares at me every time I tried and I like my job too much to risk her wrath on purpose." The senator laughed bitterly in response.

"Yeah. Maybe at least when we are alone? You're like a little sister to me; it makes me feel awkward when you can't ever say my name." Ri nodded hesitantly trying to hide the emotion that brought out in her. The senators' family was like her own and she was glad the feeling was mutual. "Speaking of the she witch, she asleep?" Ri brought him his coffee and he took it from her graciously. She sat in the chair next to him.

"I have no idea. When I got here, she wasn't out here and the entrance to your room was closed. I haven't seen the security detail either." Senator Killian froze and slowly set his coffee down on the coffee table his expression turned dark.

"Who was watching the kids when you got here?" His tone was murderous and she bit her lip nervously.

"When the agents brought me back the kids were in the main part of the living room. I didn't check your room because the last time I went in there she tried to fire me." The Senator took a deep breath with his eyes closed before walking to the bedroom and throwing open the door. He swore loudly and opened his cell finding it just as useless as hers had been earlier. His security guard was by the elevator in the chair he usually sat in and the senator walked over to him angrily.

"Where the hell is the rest of the team and my wife? Find them," he demanded. The guard looked just as angry as he did and picked up his walkie-talkie to get answers. Ri let them be and went over to the hook where her purse hung to grab her notebook. When she reached inside, she brushed against the barrel of the small gun and let out a loud gasp in shock.

"You ok Ri?" the senator asked concerned. Ri closed her eyes and swallowed heavily trying not to panic at the thought of one of the kids finding it when her purse had been sitting on the couch earlier. What if she hadn't hung it up before the kids woke up? Gracie always tried to dig through her purse to find candy and Toby was always looking for gum. She hated herself for putting them in danger like this, but knew she had to turn around and answer the senator. He couldn't know how badly she messed up. She didn't want to lose her time with the kids, or her job. She took a deep breath and turned around smiling at the senator and his guard whom were both staring at her in concern.

"Just fine. I think I twisted my wrist earlier and it just panged when I lifted my bag." The men nodded and went back to their discussion. Ri moved her bag to the top shelf of the closet in the main room and wondered what the hell she was going to do with the gun. She had no idea who that woman was in her normal life. The Captain was pretty much the same. They had learned about him when she was in school, but that didn't tell her who he was now. Just when she was starting to give up hope, she remembered. Stark! Tony Stark was Iron Man and he had been talking to the redhead through the high tech coms they were using. If she wanted to give the gun back to her savior, she was just going to have to get a meeting with Stark. Which shouldn't be insanely impossible. They were here for a week after all. The senator called over to her and she rejoined him in the kitchen.

"I'm going to take you and the kids back to D.C with me the day after tomorrow." Ri looked at him in shock.

'So, not a week then, shit,' Ri thought in panic.

"Are you sure? The kids and I can stay in the hotel. We don't have to go out." He looked at her like she was crazy.

"You're usually with me on these types of things. I want my kids out of this city. Who the hell knows what is going to come out of the sky next and I want you home." Ri closed her eyes and nodded trying to think rationally. Opening them, she smiled at him tightly.

"Of course, you're right. You'll have time to get done with your meetings?" He shook his head.

"No. The meetings have been postponed until next week and they will take place in D.C. this time. We would leave tonight if I could get the jet back, but unfortunately my wife seems to have taken it to Europe." Ri's mouth dropped open in absolute shock.

"EUROPE?!" she said loudly. The senator rubbed his face hard and then leaned his body on the counter tiredly.

"That was pretty much what I thought too. I'm going to hang out here in the room with you guys until we can get the jet back here. She refuses to come back and I can't just leave her stranded, as much as that thought is tempting. We should be okay for a couple nights." Ri nodded thinking seriously. That woman was an absolute horror as a parent, but she may have just saved Ri's ass.

"Do you think I could take a couple of hours tomorrow?" The senator eyed her suspiciously.

"What are you going to do in the city the day after an alien invasion? I doubt anything will be open." She smiled at him innocently.

"I just need to see someone. It shouldn't take long. I promise to be safe." The senator nodded still looking at her funny.

"If you're sure…" Ri nodded. "Then that's fine. Help me get through breakfast and then you can take as much time as you need. We leave in the morning day after tomorrow though so do it fast." Ri promised and sent the Senator to lay down and change while the kids were still napping. When the door to his room closed, Ri went to make sure the little ones were still asleep and change out of her grimy clothes. She walked over to the bed Toby had taken and smoothed his hair back. He looked like an angel when he was asleep. She tucked the blankets in around him and moved over to his sister in her portable crib. Grace was basically a miracle. Ri had started working for the Senator and his family just before she had been conceived, and their mother was a holy terror back then, too. She was angry and belligerent saying that she felt no connection to Toby and felt that she needed a second child so that she could feel like she was a real mother. Whatever the hell that meant. It was a shame she couldn't see how brilliant Toby was. By the time, that they found out Grace had been conceived the doctors were worried about her being born with birth defects due to the levels of alcohol her mother had been drinking. She had been shipped off to rehab the second the baby was born and Ri had been taking care of the little girl from day one. Ri tucked the blankets around Grace as well and watched as she snuggled into her pillow and her favorite stuffed animal. Smiling at how adorable the little girl was Ri went out to the kitchen to plan dinner and an evening in room activity for the kids. It wasn't fair that they had to be cooped up here, but at least she had the forethought to bring movies and games just in case.

By the time she got the kids into bed that night she was exhausted. The senator had slept a bit longer than the kids, but not by much. They had been so excited daddy was home that they rushed in to wake him up the second Ri thought the senator had napped enough. The kids played with their father while Ri cooked a passable spaghetti and meatballs in the tiny kitchen and got dinner on the table. The senator insisted that she eat with them and afterwards he cleaned up the kitchen while she played a math learning game with Toby and Grace played a matching game to work on color recognition and motor skills. When the game was over the Senator came over to the table to help clean up.

"Hey kiddos, what about a movie night huh?" Toby smiled up at his dad like he just solved world hunger.

"A whole movie night?" he asked excitedly.

"A whole movie night. Gracie picks first then your pick." He seemed to be disappointed at first and the senator looked at her for help. Ri smiled at him and leaned in close to Toby so she could whisper to him.

"Problem solve buddy. Why would Gracie get first pick of a movie at night?" His little face screwed up in concentration while he looked at his sister. Then all at once his face cleared and he smiled up at her.

"Because she is still little and she won't make it through two movies." He said with confidence. RI smiled at him and hugged him close.

"Good job buddy! You are too smart for a 6 year old." Toby giggled and tried to get away when she tickled him.

"Miss Ri! No! I'm not 6, I'm 4!" Ri kissed his head and sent him to go get his pajamas on before turning and scooping up the baby. Toby turned around to look at his father when he got to his bedroom door. "Daddy are you makin popcorn?"

"Of course buddy! Can't have a movie night without popcorn." The senator smiled at his son before heading into the kitchen. Ri got the kids ready for bed and pulled out some extra pillows and the blankets from her own bed to make a small nest for the munchkins. Gracie was asleep before the end of her movie and Toby didn't make it through his either. Ri carried Gracie to bed and tucked her in while the senator tucked in his son. Then she put her bed back together and tidied up the living room. Sitting down with her sketchpad, she continued the drawing she started during the second movie. She liked to sketch and was practicing faces at the moment. The picture she was drawing was of the senator and his two children snuggled up at the end of the couch with all of the blankets and pillows around them. The kids were fast asleep and the senator looked at them as if they were the most precious things in the world. A soft cough to her left made her look up at the senator.

"Were you going to bed right away? We could watch a movie or have some tea if you wanted." She nodded and sat up a bit on the couch.

"Some tea would be nice. Want me to start the kettle?" He shook his head.

"I'll do it. Finish what you're working on then come join me." She nodded and put the last finishing touches on the sketch until she heard the kettle whistle. She stood up quickly and stretched before heading into the kitchen. He looked up when she padded close in her fuzzy socks and flannel pajama bottoms. "Drawing from memory again?"

Instead of answering Ri slid the sketchbook across to him and he handed her a cup with just the right amount of sugar in it before looking at the book. She studied his face while he studied the drawing and the raw emotion she saw there was moving. He loved his kids, and after today, she couldn't just keep her mouth shut anymore.

"Your kids adore you. I have filled sketchbooks with drawings of you and them together. Do you have any idea how many pictures like that I have of them with their mother?" He looked up at her with so much emotion in his eyes she had to look away. He opened his mouth to speak and she held up her hand to pause him. "It's not my place, and if you let me get this out we never have to mention it again. After what happened this afternoon, I can't keep my mouth shut anymore. I know it makes you look better to your constituents if you don't get divorced, but she is damaging them. She left them alone today when it could have taken me hours to get back not just minutes. You are a great father, and you can do this without her. Think about it."

She turned without looking at him and went to drink her tea in the room she shared with the kids. Looking back at the kitchen through the crack in the door, she saw a tear slip out of his eyes as he looked through the sketchbook she had handed him. Knowing she did the right thing, she made sure the kids were asleep and then lay down herself. Tomorrow was going to be one hell of a complicated day. As she snuggled beneath the unfamiliar blanket and listened to the even breathing of the children that meant so much to her, Ri started to get a nagging feeling that she forgot something. With the stress of the day that wasn't a surprise, yet this seemed rather important. Brushing it off as just her paranoia after the alien invasion Ri let her body relax as she drifted off to sleep.

 _ **Author's Note:**_

 _ **This one was a bit longer, but if you read it, thank you! I wanted to focus on Ri this chapter but dont worry, youll see a lot more super heroes next chapter! I am so excited that I got my first review. I would love some feedback! If you read it please review!**_


	3. Chapter 3: The Morning After, Part 1

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel Characters in this story….or not in this story. If I did you would not be reading this on a free site, haha! I do however own Ri and the senators kids and the senator.**_

 _Authors note: Thank you guys so much for reviewing! Im so sorry that this chapter is later than I had hoped. I have a friend reading for continuity and another for grammar and my friends were very busy these last two weeks. Look for another chapter this week! Maybe even by tomorrow… Stay tuned and keep telling me how you like the story so far! I love all my reviewers. And, if you have questions or concerns don't feel like you cant comment those either. Enjoy!_

Chapter Three:

Steve sat straight up from his spot on Starks couch just as the sun rose over the edge of the building. He looked around wide eyed as he tried to remember how he had gotten there. He remembered tossing and turning on a mattress so soft, it felt like a cotton ball. He hadn't been able to relax so he had wandered out here to the couch intending to figure out a plan for the future, but he must have fallen asleep. He swung his legs over the side and cradled his head in his hands while he rubbed his eyes hard. After giving himself a minute to wake up, he looked at his watch. It was broken. He frowned at it wondering how a watch that cost as much as this one had could break after one mission. His watch from the 40's had made it through some hard use until he crashed in the ice. He stood up to wander the common floor and he found it to be deserted. Making his way into the kitchen, he spotted the digital clock on the stove.

Fourteen hours, he realized in shock. He had slept for fourteen hours straight and he was still the first one to wake up from what felt like the coma he had fallen into after the battle. He hadn't slept that long since he woke up from the ice a year ago. Usually he didn't sleep much at all if he was honest; not that he told people that. It was just that every time he closed his eyes he saw flashes of the worst things that ever happened to him. His mom dying, the men he lost in the war, Bucky falling from that train, and crashing into the ice while Peggy tried not to cry on him. He had so many regrets. He wished his mom had been alive to see him make something of himself. He always felt like such a disappointment to her. His father had died a hero leaving his mom behind to work two jobs just to take care of her sick son. He had always been a burden to her, and when the disease took her, he became a burden to Bucky. Bucky had always looked out for him and was always there when he got himself into trouble. And in the end, it had gotten him killed. He had been so proud the day he finally got to rescue Bucky, pay him back a little for all of the things he had done to keep him alive all those years. Then, when it really counted, he didn't get there in time.

Steve shook himself and decided that if he was going down that road of thinking he would at least need some coffee. If his arms weren't still tired, he would be looking for a punching bag. He looked at the counter and the bar on the other side by the sink but didn't see anything that even remotely resembled a coffee maker. On one side of the fridge, there was a jumbled contraption that said expresso and if he remembered correctly that was a type of coffee. He groaned.

"Of course Stark would have some confusing space age contraption to make something as simple as coffee." Steve searched for some kind of on button or instructions but there wasn't any, and in fact, it seemed to be bolted to the countertop. "How the heck am I supposed to get coffee out of this thing…?"

"Mr. Rogers, if I may assist you." A voice sounded causing him to jump a mile in the air and spin around wondering how someone had managed to sneak up on him. Seeing no one there, he cautiously made his way over towards where he left his shield.

"Who is there…?" He asked on high alert and wondering how he let his shield get set so far away.

"I'm sorry to have startled you Mr. Rogers, my name is JARVIS." Steve stared around and realized that the voice was coming from the ceiling somehow. He crouched down a bit in case the person dropped from above and grabbed his shield. Taking a fighting stance, he tried to survey the ceiling as best he could.

"JARVIS? Tony mentioned you before and talked to you on coms but I have yet to meet you face to face. Where are you? Why don't you come on out and introduce yourself."

"He isn't a person Mr. Rogers." Steve spun around and just barely managed to stop himself from throwing his shield at the beautiful redhead. She was dressed in jean shorts and a too big Iron Man shirt she had tied off to the side so it fit. Her feet were bare and she looked as tired as he still felt. Steve immediately dropped his shield and stood up straighter feeling a little embarrassed as she laughed quietly at his seeming paranoia.

"Ma'am." Steve nodded to her as she got close enough to shake hands. Her handshake was surprisingly firm and she smiled at him.

"Hello, Captain America right? Or do you prefer Steve? My name is Pepper Potts."

"Steve, please." He nodded at her politely but was obviously still confused as to who she even was. She laughed musically before continuing. "I live here with Tony. He is my boyfriend."

"Oh! Right, he uh, may have mentioned you a few times. I really haven't known him long, in all honesty." She laid her hand on his arm cutting him off.

"It's okay Steve, Tony is…. Well I don't listen to him half the time either." They smiled at each other, Steve looking away awkwardly before making eye contact with her again, his manners not letting the awkward silence stand.

"Did you just get in?" he asked quickly and as politely as he could.

"I got in a few hours ago but it wasn't until just a bit ago they were letting us into the city. You were drooling on the couch when I snuck by you to check on Tony." Steve blushed and looked down at his feet; he crossed his arms defensively while she left him to start towards the counter. "No need to be embarrassed, you deserve a little drooling time after what you did yesterday. You came out of it ok?"

"Yes ma'am, I mean Pepper. Just tired is all. What did you mean JARVIS isn't a person?" She smiled as she neared the countertop and pulled two mugs down from the cabinet above the coffee maker.

"Jarvis is Tony's computer software." She calmly explained. "Jarvis, could you make us some coffee please?"

"Of course, Ms. Potts." The coffee maker magically came to life as Steve stared at it in shock.

"If you don't mind my asking ma'am, how does he seem so much like a person if he is a computer?" Steve tried not to make it obvious he was still scanning the room for threats but if her smirk was any guess, she definitely noticed. His heart rate had calmed down a bit but he was still in new territory here. The redhead smiled patiently at him as she retrieved milk and creamer from the fridge to set on the counter.

"Its kind a really smart computer, in all honesty even I don't understand it. It's just kind of always there to help like a personal assistant. JARVIS is actually an acronym, if that helps. It stands for Just A Rather Very Intelligent System. JARVIS runs the tower, the Iron Man suits, and just about everything around here. Tony invented it. Milk or creamer?" She confidently mixed her own coffee with milk and sugar before looking up at him expectantly.

"Just a bit of sugar ma'am. Thank you for your help with the coffee, I probably never would have gotten it figured out." He took a sip and then leaned on the counter as the woman dug around in the fridge and put the milk and creamer away. He wondered if Stark ever met the JARVIS that was actually a person and if he chose the name of his system based on Howards old butler intentionally. He actually thought that the old butler would have gotten a kick out of Tony naming a system after him and having it still act as, basically, a butler. Pepper sighed and closed the fridge forcing him from his ruminations.

"Just give me a second to talk to JARVIS, and then maybe you could help me with something?" Steve nodded as she opened to cupboard next to the fridge. "JARVIS, could you look and see what we have in the kitchen down in the employee area for breakfast, please?"

"Right away Ms. Potts." There was a second of silence while the computer presumably looked. "It looks as if there are enough eggs and breakfast meats to satisfy our guests."

"That's great news! And I have the fixings for pancakes up here. Thank you JARVIS!"

"Anytime, Ms. Potts." She turned back to Steve with a smile.

"Would you help me cart all of that stuff up here? It's on one of the lower levels and I don't want to have to drag one of the food carts all the way up here." He nodded again as she rummaged for something under the sink and came up with a couple of cloth grocery sacks for carrying. The elevator chimed as it opened and stayed that way until they got there.

"To the employee kitchen, Ms. Potts?"

"Yes please, JARVIS." Steve shook his head. He didn't think he would ever get used to talking to someone that wasn't there, but Pepper seemed to do it all the time. Looking at his feet, he smiled realizing that the two of them were still bare foot.

They made quick work of finding the food in the huge kitchen and she loaded up some stuff for lunch as well as snacks. It seemed like she was trying to feed an army and not just a couple of people, but in retrospect he and Thor did seem to eat a lot on the Heli carrier. They got back up to the loft in no time while still chatting comfortably about how New York had changed since the forties. After they put away the food, they checked in with JARVIS to see if anyone was up and moving yet. No one was and again Steve got the feeling he wouldn't like living in the tower with JARVIS being able to see and monitor everything. He felt like he was being watched the whole time.

"You know how to cook Steve?" Pepper asked as she dug out pans from the many cabinets in the kitchen.

"Not really ma'am. I make a pretty good prep cook though; can I cut up the peppers and onions for you?" She nodded at him gratefully and pointed him towards the knife block and cutting board.

"The peppers, onions, and mushrooms are in the fridge. You get started on that and I'll make the bacon and sausage. JARVIS, can you heat up the stove for me, please?" The stove came to life and they worked in silence for a few minutes before Dr. Banner made his way quietly into the kitchen.

"Good morning Dr. Banner." Pepper greeted smoothly while turning the bacon. "Could I interest you in some coffee?" He smiled nervously at her while he twisted his hands.

"Good morning. Actually I'm more of a tea drinker." Without missing a beat, she turned and fished a couple of tins out of the pantry and slid them to him while she readied an older fashioned teakettle and set the water to boil.

"Take your pick Dr. Banner. I like my coffee in the morning but I can't possibly go to sleep at night without a good cup of tea." They smiled at each other and he got to digging through the tea bags picking some up to smell. "You hungry? I'm making sausage, bacon, eggs, and pancakes or waffles since the batter is basically the same? What can I interest you in?"

"I'm ok for now, do you need some help? I'm a passable cook." She smiled and had him monitor the meat while she dug out the stuff for pancakes and tossed it in the mixer without a recipe. Steve was impressed because he could barely make cereal without directions. When he was done chopping, he was ushered over to the other side of the counter to watch them finish making breakfast. Barton and Natasha came out at about the same time and quietly got themselves coffee before disappearing outside to check the progress to clean up the city. Thor was up next.

"Glad tidings this bright morning Milady!" he called loudly to Pepper making her jump just slightly as she poured batter into a waffle iron. "Friend Banner! The Captain!" Thor set his hammer down on the counter and Pepper narrowed her eyes at him.

"It's Pepper please, Thor, and I would appreciate it if you didn't leave weapons in the way of breakfast. In the hallway or over by the couch if you have to have it close!" Thor looked chastised and moved the hammer accordingly.

"Did you say breakfast Lady Pepper? I am famished after the battle yesterday. Can I assist you in any way?" Pepper looked at him for a moment before surveying the room. The dining table was on its side over against the wall but thankfully in one piece and the chairs were scattered.

"Could you set up my table? It got jostled around pretty good."

"Of course Milady!" He walked purposefully over to the table and began to move the chairs out of the way. Steve got up and offered to help in order to prevent additional damage to the table. Pepper mouthed a thank you at him and he smiled in return. In no time at all the guys had gotten the table together and the two had come back in from the balcony to introduce themselves officially to Pepper. She had them gathering dishes and was laughing with Natasha about bossing her around again. Steve was a little confused as to what that meant but he wasn't too concerned, he was usually confused when it came to his newfound team. The teakettle sounded and the sharp whistle temporarily drowned out what they were saying. They continued working in relative silence until breakfast was ready.

Just as Steve and Clint had finished getting the table set and the last of the pancakes and waffles came off the grill, there was a commotion by the door to the main living spaces. Tony appeared while mumbling something about sweaty superheroes invading his dining room that had Pepper yelling at him that it was his fault this time. Just as everyone started to take their places at the table, Tony seemed to misstep. On further inspection, it appeared that he wasn't watching where he was going and he slammed face first into the divot in the floor left by a certain God of Mischief. Everyone laughed at him as he lay there in the middle of the floor.

"Great. Just what I needed. Banner this is all your fault. Tell the Rage monster not to make such a mess in my living room, wouldja?" Tony grumbled as he stood up.

Bruce's' eyes seemed to flash lime green for a second before he spoke in a deep Hulk-esque voice.

"Puny Stark." The whole kitchen seemed to freeze as Banner rolled his shoulders and took another sip of his tea.

"You ok Dr. Banner?" Steve asked worriedly taking a step in front of Pepper and putting himself in between her and the doctor.

"Yeah… why are you looking at me like that?" Dr. Banner slowly set his tea down on the counter to his right while he looked them all over. Thor strode up to him quickly and took his face in both of his hands enthusiastically. Thor's eyes searched Dr. Banners, as Banner looked at him in complete shock.

"Green One?! Are you in there?!" Banner snapped out of his shock and swatted Thor's hands away from his face in annoyance.

"Get away from me, have you lost your mind?!" Banner looked pissed and Natasha palmed a gun just in case things got messy. Pepper peeked out from behind Steve far enough to look curiously at Bruce.

"Your eyes flashed this beautiful psychedelic green color and your voice dropped an octave. It was almost…guttural." Bruce's eyes opened wider in shock as he hurriedly checked the advanced heart rate monitor that he always wore. It showed no blips of increased activity other than clearly reading his annoyance and then panic. Tony chimed in before he could reassure everyone that he was really fine.

"You do know that calls for research. I'm making you stay here now. You can't leave. Pepper? Prepare the basement dungeons. He isn't leaving." Banner chuckled but nodded just the same.

"Tony you can't hold people hostage! I don't know how many times I need to tell you that before you understand it but it's true. No hostages." Bruce smiled at Pepper thankfully and everyone sat down to breakfast trying not to give Bruce nervous looks.

"Calm down everyone, my heartrate didn't spike at all. Definitely not doing any party tricks today." Natasha nodded and Pepper started dishing out pancakes and waffles to everyone present.

"So, what's on the agenda today?" Pepper asked the group. They all looked at Steve as one assuming he would call out a plan like the one he had during the battle yesterday. He swallowed his veggie omelet before answering.

"Well, we are just waiting on Fury. He has Loki and the Tesseract under lock and key until the transport device is built to send him and Thor back to Asgard. We are pretty well on our own until then since we got debriefed yesterday." The team nodded contemplatively and resumed eating for the most part. Tony spoke up first.

"I have to repair the suits from yesterday so they're ready to go again. We took a lot of damage with the fall and everything." Pepper narrowed her eyes in a way that told them all a long explanation was also in Tony's future. Natasha laughed at them both.

"Clint and I are doing weapon maintenance and then we are going to join SHIELD in the field looking for my missing gun." The whole table stilled.

"Missing gun? In this city?" Pepper asked looking a bit faint.

"I guess you really are losing it in your old age Romanov. Exactly how old ARE you? 70? 80? 100?" Pepper smacked Tony on the arm.

"SHIELD and the Army have the streets I worked blocked off while they search for the gun and clear the alien weaponry. Besides, I have a pretty good idea what happened to it. It will turn up pretty quickly I think." Clint looked annoyed.

"I don't understand why you have to find the gun anyways. You lose guns all the time on missions, especially battle ones like yesterday." Natasha rolled her eyes at him while she ate her pancakes.

"It's different in the states. They don't want a civilian to get their hands on a Government Issue weapon. If they did then who knows what kind of things could happen." Clint and Steve nodded in understanding while Tony just rolled his eyes.

"Sir, there is a disturbance in the lobby of the building." The table stilled and Tony sighed.

"During breakfast? Have they no manners?! Is there no god?!" Tony threw his hands up in the air dramatically and Pepper rolled her eyes at his antics.

"I am considered a God," Thor stated calmly as he shoveled his eighth pancake into his mouth. Tony glared at Thor and was about to fire back when Pepper cut him off.

"What kind of disturbance JARVIS?" Pepper asked tiredly while she stood. She assumed it was the press and was prepared to take care of it for the team.

"It appears to be a brunette woman brandishing a gun." The table stilled and Pepper dropped back into her seat in a daze.

"Oh. Not my job then." She said faintly. The rest of the group stood still dressed in what they slept in and grabbed what weapons were available. Clint took off into the air ducts much to Tony's dismay and Steve grabbed his shield taking the stairs at a run. Thor summoned his hammer and took the outside route to land beside the entrance and come at the disturbance from behind. Natasha and Tony waited for the elevator as a suit zoomed into the room enveloping Tony within a few seconds. Banner stood by the table awkwardly.

"I'm gonna sit this one out guys." Natasha smiled at him over her shoulder.

"We'll let you know if it's a code green big guy." They stepped into the elevator and Tony looked at Pepper smiling.

"Back in a jiffy." His mask slammed closed and just before the doors closed Pepper and Bruce heard a slightly computerized voice yell.

"Banner don't eat my eggs!"


	4. Chapter 4: The Morning After, Part 2

Chapter Four:

Ri blinked tiredly into her coffee as the little kids laughed and ate their peanut butter waffle sandwiches at the kitchen table. The kids had had a rough night after the battle yesterday and both of them had woken her up with their nightmares. From what they were mumbling about when she scooped them into bed with her, their mother had let them watch more of the battle than was advisable. When Toby was done, she helped him wash his hands and then sent him off to get dressed while she sat Gracie down on the counter and cleaned her off with baby wipes. They giggled together as she tickled the little girl maybe a bit more than necessary. She got Gracie dressed and set her on the bed with her tablet to watch Bubble Guppies while she got dressed herself. She stood in front of her suitcase and tried to think of what to wear to take the gun back so she didn't look like a raving lunatic.

"Miss Ri you promised Gracie you would match today." Toby reminded her. She groaned at the reminder and momentarily thought about going through the hassle to re-dress the two year old. Ultimately, she put on the ridiculously patterned leggings and the purple top. She tossed on a black cover-up that left her arms bare and was long enough to cover at least some of the leggings. She looked in the mirror and put her head in her hands before sighing in resignation.

"Raving lunatic it is apparently," Ri whispered to herself as she turned around to show Gracie her outfit. Gracie clapped her hands.

"Yay! Pwitty Ri Ri!" Ri leaned over and scooped her up, tossing her into the air before resting her on her hip. She settled the little kids in front of the television to watch some cartoons before making her way to the kitchenette to refill her to-go mug. The senator was there reading the paper.

"I made mac and cheese this morning for lunch and put hot dogs in it. All you have to do is nuke it in the microwave for a minute or so and serve it and there's stuff for sandwiches for you in the fridge. There are a bunch of snacks for the kids too and if I don't get back before dinner—" the senator cut her off with and hand on her arm and a smile.

"Ri, I can manage. I know how to take care of my kids." She blushed and looked down embarrassed.

"Sorry. I'm used to having to micromanage everything." He nodded in understanding before going back to his paper. Ri walked over to say goodbye to the kids and hugged them both.

"I'll be back later. You guys are going to be with daddy all day today. Be good, okay?" Gracie gave her a big sloppy kiss and Toby hugged her absentmindedly as he did a puzzle in his school app on his tablet. She ruffled his hair before going to retrieve her purse from the closet. She grabbed her extra sketchbook she had left on the counter and shoved that one in her purse. The senator looked up and seemed to notice her outfit for the first time. He raised an eyebrow at her as she blushed before he looked over at the baby and laughed.

"Matching day?" She rolled her eyes and said goodbye.

When the elevator closed, Ri realized that she didn't really have a plan. The city would probably be on lockdown and she didn't have a single idea as to how to get to the tower. It had been the epicenter of the battle and she knew it would still be blocked off to everyone but SHIELD agents. It was tempting to just call her grandfather, but she didn't want to have him save her from every little situation. She found a bench in the lobby and put her head in her hands. What the hell was she going to do? She couldn't take the gun back to the room, and she couldn't just dump it in the street because who knows what could happen to it then. Suddenly Ri had a thought. She bit her lip nervously and sent a quick text message to probably the one person in the city that could help her right now. The response was quick and short but made her smile in gratitude.

'Out front. Three minutes.'

Ri hurried out through the massive lobby to the front door just as the black SUV pulled up. A serious Grant Ward was sitting in the driver seat when she hopped in.

"When I said to call me if you needed anything I didn't necessarily mean the next morning." Ri laughed at his attitude.

"Shut up and drive Ward. I want to get back before the kids nap." Ri looked down at her phone and then checked the bag for what felt like the fiftieth time to make sure the gun was still there; it was. She looked up at him to figure out why he wasn't moving yet to find him staring at her legs in abject horror.

"What the hell are you wearing? You look like a circus freak." She smacked him across the arm and he put the SUV in drive turning the car towards the massive tower just a few blocks away.

"It's matching day with Gracie. She picked the pants." Grant Ward laughed and she glared at him. "Don't say it."

"I can't believe you let a two year old dress you." She rolled her eyes and checked her phone for text messages from the senator even though she had only been gone a few minutes. She tried to remember that he wasn't his wife. He could handle the kids. She was pulled out of her ruminations by a frustrated groan from Ward. He was looking at her impatiently, and she couldn't quite figure out why. Finally, he sighed a long suffering sigh and spoke up.

"Where the hell am I taking you?" Ward asked impatiently. Ri turned bright red and stuttered out a response as quickly as she could.

"Oh! I thought I said – Just to the, you know, where I was when I started yesterday, about a block south of Stark Tower. There was a little café there. I think I dropped my wallet." Ri's voice shook just a little on the lie and he narrowed his eyes at her a bit but put the jeep in drive. They lulled into a slightly uncomfortable silence while she tried to figure out how she was going to get into the tower to see Stark. Before she could come up with a plan Ward decided to get nosey.

"Why am I REALLY dragging you into the middle of the battleground this early in the morning?" She looked resolutely out the window and crossed her arms.

"I just have something I have to take care of." Ward eyed her suspiciously.

"Are you going to get me fired?" Ward eyed her as they pulled up to a building a block east of the tower. Ri laughed nervously and he glared at her hard.

"Probably not. Thank you Ward. I really appreciate this." He eyed her suspiciously but still nodded.

"You know I only did this because you're a legacy, right?" She hopped out of the SUV and smiled at him before making sure she had her bag.

"I won't tell my grandfather you helped me unless it will help you. If I get into trouble I did this on my own." He looked troubled and started to speak but she cut him off. "Goodbye Ward. Thanks again!"

Slamming the door and stepping away from the street, she waited until he moved the SUV further down the road. Once he was a decent distance away, she turned and made her way slowly towards the tower trying to look like she belonged there. This was made increasingly difficult because of the state of her clothing but she tried to blend in anyways. With every step Ri took towards Stark tower, her anxiety and apprehension grew. If she were being honest with herself, she would admit that she needed help with this. It was absolute insanity to think that she could just waltz into the building of a billionaire and demand an audience, let alone do it with a loaded gun. Ri stopped walking and leaned against the side of the building trying to stave off a panic attack. Yesterday in the heat of the battle, and afterwards with the kids, she had managed to hold it together; but, now that she was alone things didn't seem as easy. Staving off the attack at least for now Ri wiped the few tears that had escaped from her eyes. Now she could see the pros of involving someone like Ward or her grandfather but her stubborn streak was practically famous to her family. In her mind, there was no turning back now.

With not more than a few strange looks, she made it all the way to the tower. Ri took one more deep breath and tried the door to the lobby. It was locked. There was an overweight, unkempt security guard listening to an IPod and she tried to get his attention but it just wasn't happening. She growled in frustration and started to move around the building when she noticed something that made her laugh. One of the windows that acted as a wall was completely shattered and not so much as a tarp or caution tape blocked it off. Shaking her head at the absurdity of locking a door when there was a hole in the building, Ri climbed into the hole carefully to avoid the broken glass. She started walking across the lobby just as a blonde woman in a light pink business suit came out of a door behind the desk. The woman noticed Ri and let out a mild shriek of surprise.

"You can't be in here!" The woman walked over and ripped the headphones out of the security guards ears. He started to yell at her until she frantically pointed out Ri standing in the middle of the wide lobby. He saw her and jerked back reflexively.

"What the hell?! How did you get in here?" The guard started coming around the desk and Ri took a step back. "I locked that door. I know I did."

"There is a whole window missing." Ri nervously pointed out. He glared at the open window and then back at Ri as if she had caused the damage herself.

"That still doesn't tell me what the hell you are doing here. Civilians don't have the ability to get this far in without clearance." The guard stalked over towards her while he talked making Ri's anxiety spike again. This guy was a lot larger than she was and she started to have fears of being tackled to the ground or even shot.

"I just need to see Mr. Stark. I have something –" the security guard cut her off and grabbed her arm roughly, trying to steer her to the door.

"You have to go!" She yanked her arm out of his, her panic kicking up another notch. Ri stepped away from him and spotted the woman still standing by the front desk. Ri moved quickly away from the guard and walked across the lobby to the woman.

"Please, I need help. I found something that belongs to his friend yesterday and I just need to give it back to her. Please!" Ri knew this situation was getting out of control. The guard was angry and could definitely cause some damage if he were to overreact. That fact alone set Ri even more on the edge of panic, but the woman looked a little more sympathetic.

"What are you trying to give him?" Ri was so relieved that the woman was willing to listen that she did the most stupid thing she could have ever done. She pulled out the gun. The woman shrieked and the security guard pulled out his Taser.

"Put the gun down ma'am!" the guard yelled. The secretary ducked and hid beneath the desk. Ri froze and the edges of her vision started to go blurry. Her breathing quickened and she felt the ripples of true panic begin to envelop her. She slowly turned around to him with tears running a hot trail down her face, hoping against hope that the guard would understand. Ri was holding the gun by the barrel and holding the handle out to the guard.

"I'm just trying to –" the guard didn't wait for her to respond. He shot the Taser gun from 10 feet away and she dove to the side to avoid the flying strings that shot out of it. Her knee cracked hard on the floor and Ri almost lost her grip on the gun. The guard looked shocked that he missed, backing away from her quickly now that his Taser was effectively useless. In her panic, a single thought rang clear in her head.

'This guard is a complete idiot…'

"Please just take the gun from me. I don't want it." Ri's mind was racing as she struggled back to her feet. The guard backed a few more paces away and Ri turned to the woman, who stood and started to scream.

Just as she went to step towards the woman, the windows behind her shattered in a brilliant display of lightning; a man with long blond hair stepping through the window wearing black combat boots and jogging clothes. Ri covered her head trying to keep the glass out of her eyes and almost knocked herself in the head with the gun. The elevator doors dinged open and Iron Man stepped into the lobby, arms up and blasters ready to fire. The redhead from yesterday, wearing tight black pajamas, used the edge of the elevator as cover and pointed a gun at her. A second later, a door to her right burst open too, catching her attention and making her jump. Captain America came to a halt in bare feet, using his shield to cover as much of his vital parts as he could. Panic started to overwhelm her as the captain looked her over and scanned the lobby to make sure she was the only threat, looking like he was ready to do battle in his pajamas. The woman kept screaming and Ri turned to her in a moment of clarity.

"I'm pointing it at myself you useless moron!" The woman looked over at her in disdain, but the screaming stopped for a second. Ri started to set the gun on the floor just as a single male voice rang out from behind the desk that made Ri stand up sharply. The woman in the suit shrieked again and spun towards the voice with a hand on her heart.

"What the hell is going on in here?" A man in black sleep pants and a black t-shirt with a giant hawk on it stepped out from the door to the office. Ri spun in a small circle slowly while looking for an escape route, but they had her effectively surrounded. Captain America stepped closer to her catching her attention and made her eyes go wide. He put both of his hands in the air and walked a little towards her as if she was a scared kitten in a tree. Stark opened his facemask and stared at Ri for a second before turning to the redhead she had met yesterday.

"I think I found your gun grandma." The redhead glared at him.

The first thing Steve noticed about the woman with the gun was that she looked completely frightened and almost like she wanted to be anywhere but where she was. As he walked closer to her, she shied away slightly and wrapped one of her arms around her middle as if she was trying to protect herself. Her other arm held the gun pointed down and away from her body like she didn't want it to touch her in any way it didn't have to. Her eyes looked lost and full of panic, but not the kind of anger he would have assumed to see in a shooter. Her long brown hair was made even more shiny because of the glass shards now weaved in it but he would have known her face anywhere. She had saved his life, of course he knew her. One look at Natasha across the lobby and he knew she knew her too. Looking back at the woman who was still staring at him in horror, he lowered his shield to the ground. If she was really trying to shoot them all then she probably wouldn't have waited to start spraying bullets from the tiny gun. As he listened to Natasha and Tony bicker like children he edged closer to the distraught girl with his hands up showing he was clearly not a threat.

"Not helping guys," Steve commanded. The woman looked to him and held the gun handle first out to him. He looked at her surprised that the barrel wasn't pointed in his direction, but leaned forward to take the gun. When it was safely in his hands, she wrapped both her arms around herself as if she was trying to hold herself together and tried to swallow a sob of relief. The look on her face immediately melted from terror to one of immense relief and she closed her eyes.

"Thank you." Her quiet whisper almost went unheard even with his advanced hearing.

"Of course ma'am. However, could you tell me what you were doing waving the gun in the first place?" Her eyes snapped up at him in annoyed surprise.

"I just wanted to give it back. I can't have it where I am and I don't want it and I just wanted to give it back and he tried to Taser me!" The brunette gestured wildly at the overweight security guard with her empty hand sounding on the fringe of hysterical. Her words came in a rush and her chest heaved.

"Can you really blame him? You pulled a gun in the lobby of the building." Natasha scolded with a glare as she approached them.

"Admittedly that was not my best plan." The woman sounded exhausted and she rubbed her face like she was trying to wake herself up. Steve glanced at Thor who was staring awkwardly off to the side. He motioned him over. They needed to get rid of the glass on the ground because half of them were barefoot.

"You think?" The woman glared at Natasha as the assassin inspected the gun and checked to see how many bullets were left in it.

"I honestly don't care that you can kill me 18 million different ways with just what's in my purse but can you honestly not yell at me right now? You're the one that left a gun with a person you don't know in the middle of New York City, so don't get on me like I'm the only idiot in the room." All of the Avengers stared at her in shock. No one talked to Natasha that way, not even Barton. The assassin slowly looked at her like she was going to squash her like a bug. Steve stepped forward and set his hand on Natasha's shoulder.

"Why don't you take that gun upstairs and call Fury? He should know you found it so he can call off the search." Natasha glared at the woman for a second before she turned towards the elevators.

"You're the boss man Cap." Steve sighed and looked over at Stark who was looking at the brunette as if she was a god. Steve rolled his eyes.

"You are my hero. Wait no. You're not. My hero wouldn't look like you. Can we just talk about the fact that you are wearing hot pink pants with crowns, fairies, and castles all over them? It looks like a fairy tale book threw up on you." Ri glared at him, the shock of the situation making her bolder.

"Ugh! Why do so many people care about my pants?!" Clint smirked and Thor laughed heartily. Tony smirked at her before shedding the suit and setting it to sentry mode to guard the entryway. He walked over to the security guard and the secretary, talking to them in hushed tones. The security guard was gesturing wildly at the brunette while the secretary just glared at her.

"Is it a common custom on this planet to dress like a child?" Thor smiled, finally making his presence known. The pretty brunette groaned and put her head in her hands again.

"This is going to be a long day…" she mumbled through her hands.

Steve chuckled at her and directed everyone to move towards the reception desk. When everyone was clear of the glass fully, Thor caused wind to race through the lobby of the building, blowing the glass dust and pieces towards the opposite edge of the room. Thor signaled to him that he was going back upstairs before striding out and using the hammer to fly up to the penthouse. Steve studied the brunette as she gasped in shock at Thors display. She seemed in awe of the Asgardian and he couldn't help but smile at her look of wonder.

"Do you have any more weapons on you?" Clint asked, appearing next to them silently breaking their silence. The woman looked up at Barton with a blank look before she seemed to realize what he was asking her.

"I have pepper spray but I don't carry weapons because when I go out I usually have a security detail tagging along." Clint motioned for her bag which she handed over willingly after she pulled the strap over her head.

"Security detail?" The woman smiled at him tiredly before answering.

"I work as a nanny. The kids I watch are the children of Senator Killian of New York." Clint nodded in understanding before handing her purse back and heading over to assist Tony. Steve decided that if he wanted to know more about her, he should actually talk to her, although, since he had a hard time talking to women of any kind that could be a problem for him.

"I owe you, by the way." She looked at him bewildered and Steve couldn't help but smile at her. She was a beautiful woman no matter her actions. He chuckled a bit before he continued. "For yesterday. You killed that alien that would have taken me out. I never saw it." She shook her head in denial.

"You saved my life a hundred times over yesterday. Besides, I think I definitely negated that by making you all think I was going to kill you." Steve smiled at her and nodded. She was probably right but that didn't mean that he would let it go. Chivalry wasn't dead. Unless it was. There was a possibility it was, because 70 years in the ice changed a lot of things, but he couldn't change his values at this point, they were too ingrained in him.

"We need to talk about how you got here. You seemed calm yesterday in that crisis, but today you were…" Steve trailed off looking her up and down trying to come up with the words to use that wouldn't offend her. She smiled wryly up at him.

"Hysterical? Irrational?" Steve laughed.

"I was going to say panicked." The woman smiled at him again and opened her mouth to tell him what happened when Tony strolled over.

"Well don't you two look a little too cozy for comfort?" Steve rolled his eyes at Tony. The woman looked down quickly but he still noticed a blush grace her cheeks, and he was betting Tony did too. "We have to take you upstairs to get you fingerprinted in my lab and I'm gonna have someone look at you. It looks like you got cut up by some glass and JARVIS noticed you favoring your left knee." The woman looked up sharply at him but nodded. "We are going to my lab upstairs so that I can learn all of your dirty little secrets." Tony smirked but her eyes narrowed just a bit and if he wasn't mistaken, she lost a little bit of color in her face. Steve and Tony met eyes for a second.

"You can try," she started. "But you won't get very far."

"That's confident coming from someone dressed like a toddler." Sighing dramatically, she nodded.

"Alright, Barton and I will take her up to the lab and then I will head up and get Dr. Banner to check her over. Stark, meet us up there when you are done dealing with this mess down here." Clint nodded and Steve led her over to the elevators that specified they went to the labs. Tony called Pepper on his cell and had her start to head downstairs in the private elevator. There would need to be workmen called and possibly a new employee to hire. Once in the elevator though, it got really awkward. It seemed like no one knew quite what to say. Finally, Barton cleared his throat and spoke up.

"So you made it huh?" The woman cocked her eyebrow at him.

"I see you did too arrow guy." Clint smiled at her and stuck out his hand. It was then that Steve realized he didn't know her name.

"Clint. But my code name is Hawkeye not Arrow Guy." The woman giggled as she shook his hand.

"Henrietta, but everyone just calls me Ri." Steve stuck his hand out too and she smiled indulgently at him while he shook her hand too.

"Steve Rogers, ma'am, I apologize for not introducing myself earlier."

"It's quite alright. It's been a strange day. Besides, you were the one I knew." He nodded at her just as the doors to the elevator opened on Tony's lab. The girl stared around in wonder and he was curious if she knew a lot about technology or if it was just the sheer number of robots and Iron Man suits that had her stunned. Clint led her over to a chair by the computers to sit and then went to get her a bottle of water in the small kitchen area. Once he was there, it looked like he got his phone out to make a call, sending Steve the signal that he needed a minute. Steve nodded at him in understanding.

"I'm going to head up and get the doctor. I don't want to leave you by yourself; this lab can be a bit dangerous." There was a ding and the elevators opened again allowing Dr. Banner entrance into the lab. Steve looked at him curiously. "I was just coming to get you."

"Pepper told me to head on down. You can go upstairs if you want and finish breakfast. Thor is almost through the pancakes." Steve nodded to him as he came over before turning and bidding farewell to Ri.

"It was nice to meet you ma'am." She smiled up at him from her chair and nodded.

"You too Captain." He waved goodbye to Clint before hitting the elevators, chancing a quick glace back at the beautiful brunette before he left. He didn't think he would ever see her again, and darn it if that wasn't a little disappointing. It didn't really matter, though. He didn't have a chance with the modern firecracker of a woman anyways.


	5. Chapter 5: Unexpected Connections

Chapter Five:

Ri sighed quietly as the captain walked away before focusing on the man in front of her. He looked shy and unassuming but she knew better. Inside he was full of life, and dangerous to boot. She hadn't known him personally but they had a shared friend that had introduced him briefly while he worked on his research with the super serum that would one day transform him into the Hulk. She eyed him warily as he walked slowly over to her. Ri wished that the Captain hadn't left so suddenly. Hawkeye was great, but that didn't mean that she felt as comfortable with him as she did the captain. The doctor held his hand out for her to shake before he quietly stuttered out a greeting.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Banner. Bruce if youd prefer." He looked at her as if he was waiting for her to bolt from the room in terror. There was a sadness in his eyes that wasn't there the last time they had been introduced. Before, his eyes had been full of arrogance and mischievous intent. Now, they were lonely and Ri couldn't help but feel bad for the guy. Turning into the Hulk must have changed him in a lot of ways and she didn't have the heart to condemn him for who he once was. She swallowed her anxiety and reached out to shake his hand.

"I know. We've met actually." He looked at her slightly embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, I don't remember you… Was I… Was I me when we met? Or the other guy…" Dr. Banner twisted his hands nervously while looking anywhere but at her.

"Oh! That's ok. We only met once or twice. You were pre-accident doing all of your research and I was just a friend of a friend that was probably getting in your way." Bruce looked up at her in surprise, not used to people talking about him before the accident. "You wouldn't have reason to remember I suppose. You stood out in my mind though." He looked even more embarrassed as he closed his eyes in resignation.

"I was an arrogant ass back then to a lot of people. Im really sor-" Ri cut him off quickly.

"Oh no! That's not what I meant. I know how driven you were. I didn't show up at the most opportune of times anyways. I was sorry to hear about the accident. Im also sorry you had to disappear, but Im glad youre back now." Dr. Banner still looked confused but she just smiled at him in what she hoped was a reassuring manner.

"Oh… Well… Thank you? I don't know how long Im back for though. Being in the city is bad for the cities health." Banner laughed in a self-deprecating way.

"I don't see it that way. You saved a lot of lives yesterday, Bruce. Mine included actually. You should be proud." He looked at her to see if she was mocking him but she seemed sincere. Bruce nodded at her and Ri smiled back at him. "So, doctor, what brings you down to see me? Last I knew you weren't the kind of doctor to oversee injuries." Banner chuckled.

"I'm not actually, not really. But, Ive spent a lot of time in Calcutta treating the sick. Trying to do some good in the world since the gamma radiation incident and all of the lives I took or endangered when I destroyed the city." Ri nodded at him in understanding. He smiled at her. "So, tell me where it hurts."

"Well yesterday I kind of fell in a crater and my wrist hurts pretty bad. But, I also didn't lay off it yesterday either. And today I banged my knee really hard diving away from the Taser that guard tried to hit me with." Bruce knelt down in front of her and laid his hand on her knee, measuring it against the uninjured one.

"It's a good thing you didn't get hit with that Taser. That may have been beyond what I can do here. May I?" he asked gesturing towards her pants. At her nod he rolled her leggings up to above her injured knee. He felt around the kneecap and had her bend and straighten it a few times. "Well its already bruising, but there doesn't seem to be any fluid backup under the kneecap which is good. I also don't feel anything broken in there. I wouldn't be too surprised if there was some discomfort while it heals but if you baby it for a few days you should be okay." Ri nodded. She had assumed that would be the case. She was a klutz and was used to the minor injury a fall could cause.

"That's good. Ive fallen on it before, alternate ice and heat?" Ri's voice sounded resigned, and Bruce just looked at her a little sadly.

"Unfortunately that's really all you can do. Maybe some ibuprophin for swelling too but really that's all it needs. Lets see if we can do anything for your wrist." Bruce reached for her wrist and held it gently in his hand. He turned it over and squeezed making pain shoot up her forearm. Ri grimaced and tried really hard not to yank her hand back. Bruce looked at her in sympathy. "I think you may have fractured it. Its at least really sprained. There are some braces down in medical and I think Tony has an x-ray machine in here for his research that we could use to rule it out." Ri just nodded at him. Clint finally came back over with her water bottle and some pain meds that he found in the desk in the far corner of the room.

"This the right kind doc?" he asked showing Bruce the bottle. Bruce nodded back grabbing the bottle and delving out the right dose. Ri swallowed them and chugged half the bottle.

"While we wait for Tony, I'm curious…" Ri bit her lip knowing this was coming.

"The pants or the gun waving…" Bruce chuckled as he stood up.

"Actually I was wondering what friend of mine you knew." Ri blushed and looked at the floor. She didn't want to upset him but she knew he probably just wouldn't let it go. She looked at him cautiously and it seemed like he was genuinely curious.

"Oh…. Well… When I was in school I took a journalism class and met your friend. She became kind of a mentor to me after I interviewed her for an article." Ri took a deep breath and studied Dr. Banner for a second. Realization seemed to be dawning on his face as he took a step back. Ri swallowed heavily before answering. "Her name was Betty Ross. We became friends and she helped me navigate the campus and figure out what I wanted to do with my life." Banner closed his eyes and she could see him doing deep breathing exercises. Hawkeye stepped closer to him and eyed him speculatively. When Bruce opened his eyes and met hers again, Ri couldn't get over how much sadness and regret radiated from him.

"You know Betty?" Bruce's voice sounded thick with emotion and he swallowed heavily. Ri nodded at him, and he looked so hopefull that she hated to disappoint him.

"We were close for a long time. When you disappeared, she was devastated. She sent you her mother's necklace because it was the only thing she had that was worth enough to sell and she didn't know how to help you." He crossed his arms over his chest and looked down.

"I got the necklace in the mail but I couldn't let her give it to me. I sent it back to her. Do you know if it made it back?" Ri paused before answering, regretting what she had to tell him.

"She got it, but only after her father saw it." Bruces eyes shot to hers in mild panic and Barton looked confused. He had been watching them in mild apprehension the entire time, hoping that the doctor would keep it together.

"Her father? General Ross saw it?" Ri nodded reluctantly.

"Honestly that's the last time I saw her. That day, she came to my apartment in tears because she didn't have a way to help you, and now her father was going to be unbearable. He used his influence to get her transferred somewhere classified doing research for the army. I get emails from her but they are stinted and short. I worry about her sometimes." Bruce looked devastated and Clint stepped towards him in mild worry. Banners eyes flashed green again and his muscles rippled. His eyes radiated such anger that Ri gasped.

"Save Betty." Ri was shocked. Had the Hulk just spoken through Dr. Banner? Barton stepped further in front of her.

"Get out of here Ri," Clint whispered calmly. Ri stated to stand and run when the green eyes focused on her and she froze.

"Find Betty." Ri nodded at him, her eyes widened in panic. Banner closed his eyes and his body seemed to shrink minimally. When he opened them again, they were brown. Banner looked at them with his hollow eyes and took in Clints defensive stance and Ri's worry and nervousness. He checked his watch before looking up at them.

"It happened again, didn't it." Ri felt confused, but clint just nodded. Banner sighed in resignation. Just before she could demand answers from the two men, the elevator dinged and Tony stepped into view.

"Well this silence is awkward. Did she wave another gun or flash her toddler pants at Bruce?" Ri and Clint met eyes before looking at Dr. Banner. He looked at her apologetically.

"Nothing like that Tony. Ri was just telling me we had a mutual friend when the other guy took over for a second again." Tony almost tripped in his haste and excitement to reach the doctor.

"Again? Really? That's interesting. Did you feel it coming on this time? What was the trigger?"

"Tony, this is hardly the moment to—"

"Now now, don't make me threaten you with pointy things again." Bruce let out a long suffering sigh and looked at Ri apologetically.

"I was trying to calm my heartrate from the news that Ri shared when I realized that the, the other guy, was almost asking permission to speak. I paused for a second in my breathing and his mental presence took over mine but the urge to shift basically left." Ri was beginning to understand what Banners life had been like since the accident; having no control over your own body was something of nightmares. Clint backed off of Ri a bit and leaned on the desk off to his side. Tony brought up a program on the holographic screens in the lab bay across from where they were standing.

"This is going to be your bay. JARVIS logged everything that happened to you biologically in this room. Every heart rate spike, every blip change in your body chemistry, was recorded and stored in this bay. You have access to it, as owner of the building and your fellow science bro I have access to it; but that's as far as it goes. You are the only one that can approve data transfer on these files." Bruce looked a little overwhelmed as he crossed to the computer bank and Ri realized that he hadn't been able to study his condition while in remote areas like Calcutta. Bruce looked at Tony like he wasn't sure what to say.

"Uhm… Wow Tony. This is really great!" Tony brushed him off while walking over to his own workstation.

"I told you, its candy land!" Tony threw his arms wide and stared around in wonder at his own lab. Banner smiled, Clint rolled his eyes, and Ri let out an involuntary giggle at his antics. Tony's eyes narrowed in her direction and she quickly sobered. Turning back to his workstation, Tony changed the subject. "Now, about your intimate secrets, crazy lady." Bruce quickly stepped forward to interrupt Tony.

"Actually first, we need to use your x-ray machine. What lab is it in?" Tony looked confused.

"Why would you want to use the x-ray machine? JARVIS, does the gun waving psycho in the child pants have any broken bones?"

"No sir, Miss Ri does not have any broken bones. I believe her wrist to just be sprained." Bruce groaned.

"If JARVIS could tell you all of that why did you need me down here?" Tony smirked.

"JARVIS cant run a psych profile." Ri groaned and put her head in her hands again.

"This is going to take forever isn't it…" Clint laughed at her while Bruce smiled.

"Ill head down to medical and get you an ice pack for your knee and a brace for your arm." Bruce walked to the elevator and turned back to Tony before he entered. "You still have Pepper sized stuff down there right?" Tony just nodded while he messed around on his computer. Ri studied him while he worked trying to figure out what made him tick. She wasn't having much success, and she had no idea what was going on with his computer screens. Half of them weren't screens at all but giant holographic images hanging in midair.

"Ok this is what we are going to do. Im going to have you put your hand on this tablet and it will scan your fingerprints. Then we can create a file for you in the SHIELD database to start working from." Ri smiled at him tiredly, and took the tablet she was handed. She didn't think she had a public file but if her private file had been hacked recently he would find it and know who she was. Honestly Ri couldn't decide if that was good or bad. Ri lined her fingers up with the little boxes on the screen and waited until it said complete before moving to scan the other hand.

"It should be easy to find my fingerprints in the system. Ive been fingerprinted before." Tony eyed her while he took the tablet back.

"Drunken night in Cabo? Cap a guy? DUI?" Ri smiled at his joke and he turned back to the computer. "JARVIS run those through every database in the world. I want to find out what dirty little secrets she has."

"You could just ask. And no, none of those. I work for a senator, so I have an extensive file somewhere." Tony turned to look at the screens and she wondered why he was so paranoid. Sure, she had waved a gun in his lobby. But, he was Iron man. Suddenly Tonys' eyes narrowed and his spine straightened. "Huh… JARVIS decrypt this file here."

"I am unable to access that file, sir." Tonys hands moved at lightning speed across the air as he tried to attack the file himself.

"What do you mean you cant access the file. You can access all of the files." Ri tried not to feel nervous. If he couldn't hack something then he definitely found her shield file. To look busy she started to peel the label off of her water bottle.

"Not that one sir." Tony sighed dramatically.

"What do I have you for if you cant break a file? I programmed you. You can hack anything." Tony went back to typing a million miles an hour on his flat glass keyboard. "JARVIS where does this file lead?"

"I am unable to see beyond the file name sir."

"That makes no sense!" Tony tapped away for a few more minutes before standing up and putting his hands in the air. "I am the man! Now, lets learn all about your little hard to find file." Ri looked up and noticed Clint looking at her suspiciously. She sat a little straighter and put the label of her water bottle in her purse quickly.

"Sir, the file does not exist." Tony slowly put his arms down in confusion.

"What? But we were proclaiming victory!" Clint snorted and Tony sent him a glare. "Alright JARVIS lets see what we have here." Tony looked confused as he slowly tapped on the holographic screens in front of him. "That's strange." Clint walked over to the computer and tried to read over TOnys shoulder.

"Whats strange?" Tony sighed and looked at the screen as if it suddenly turned into a chicken in front of him.

"I hacked SHIELD. I have all of their files."

"And?" Clint looked like he wasn't following. Ri started digging through her purse looking for a distraction, trying not to think of the repercussions of them finding her SHIELD file.

"I cant get into this file. The information is there but its missing. I cant hack it because it looks like there is nothing to hack." Clint froze. Tony looked at him strangely. "Spill Katniss. What do you know that I don't?" Clint eyed Ri and Ri tried not to panic visably. Just as Clint opened his mouth to explain, Ri's purse started blaring Sir Mix A lot again. Clint smiled at her before bursting into laughter, and Tony looked amazed. Ri slowly brought her phone out and looked at the caller ID in sheer panic.

"Oh no. Oh no no no. This is not happening." Suddenly Ri remembered what she forgot the night before in her exhaustion. She hadn't called her grandfather.

"Yeah, I would also look panicked if my ring tone was that embarrassing." Ri ignored him, and standing up she walked three paces away. If she didn't answer the phone it was going to go to voicemail, and if her phone went to voicemail there was no telling what bad things could happen. Quickly answering her phone, Ri didn't even bother with small talk.

"I can explain!" A loud booming voice on the other end of the phone was heard yelling.

"HENRIETTA MARGARETTE DUGAN JESSUP!" Ri closed her eyes accepting the yelling. "You owed me a phone call last night!"

"I know Grandpa and I'm really sorry but –"she was cut off to more yelling that could be heard by all of those in the room.

"I don't want to hear it! You promised you'd call me when you got safe!"

"I know grandpa I'm sorry but I walked into a situation with the kids and I couldn't just –"

"And THEN! And then I get a call from the director to tell him that your SHIELD file was almost hacked by none other than Tony Stark himself! What the hell is going on Etta?!" Ri groaned.

"I'm sorry! I promise I didn't mean to forget to call! I was just so tired from-"

"From running around with super heroes and shooting aliens?" Her grandfathers voice was quiet but no less dangerous. Ri sighed into the phone.

"Who told you?" Ri sighed into the phone while Tony giggled like a child and whispered to Clint just loud enough for her to hear.

"This is like Christmas! Do we have popcorn? Call Banner. We need popcorn." Ri rolled her eyes at them as her grandfather continued to berate her for her stupidity in running into danger.

"Etta you cant just do things like that. Your picture is all over the news now. You need to get back to DC before they find out you aren't just some random girl from New York!" Ri's breath caught.

"Im still all over the news?" Her grandfather sighed on the other end of the phone.

"Yes. It is going to be a nightmare trying to contain this. Do you know what me and Nick go through to keep you out of the spotlight?"

"Grandpa I know, Im so sorry that I put myself in danger. I know how you worry and I didn't mean to scare you." The other end of the line went silent and she prayed that he hadn't hung up on her. Only bad things ever happened when he hung up on her and she did NOT want a repeat of the Chicago incident.

"Grandpa?" The elevator opened and in walked Banner with her brace and her ice pack. Her grandfather paused for just another second before he sighed.

"I know youre sorry Etta. I just don't want anything to happen to you. After Chicago… That's why you have the invisible file. And now Stark himself is trying to hack it."

"I know. What do I need to do?" Ri rubbed her eyes and reached for the water bottle.

"Banner you didn't bring the popcorn!" Tony stage whispered across the room. Banner stopped and looked at him in confusion.

"Wait, you were serious?" Ri almost laughed at their antics.

"You still there Bug?"

"Sorry grandpa. Mr. Stark was making fun of me." Her grandfather chuckled on the other end of the phone.

"Well he wont be laughing for long." Ri stopped pacing and tried to think about what the heck that could mean.

"What does-"

"Sir, my protocols seem to have been overridden. There is an unauthorized person in the elevator." Tony looked at the elevator curiously.

"Well that cant be good. JARVIS stop the elevator."

"I cant sir, my elevator protocols are overridden." Ri's eyes widened as Clint stepped in front of her, an arrow strung in his bow. Tony called for a suit. The elevator opened and a tall black man in an eye patch stepped out slowly.

"Stark," he said. "What the hell are you doing?"

Tony cancelled his call for a suit looking at the director in amusement.

"Well hello director. I would have met you at the door but I was busy not knowing you were coming and hacking secret files that lead to nowhere. Wanna tell me about that?" The black man stared at him with his one eye before flicking it over Ri and Clint. When his focus returned to Tony, Ri smiled.

"Grandpa I have to call you back, the Director just walked in."

"Put Nick on the phone, Bug." Ri looked at her phone for a second before sliding out from behind Clint and making her way cautiously over to the newcomer.

"My grandfather wants to talk to you." The man nodded at her before taking the phone.

"Yeah? Yeah I got it handled." The man eyed Ri speculatively. "Its all under control. Right." Ri was handed her phone back and the man nodded at her. She smiled before putting the phone back up to her ear and turning back to where Clint and Tony were standing. Clint looked suspicious, but Tony looked angry and defensive.

"Call me when you get to the hotel tonight bug, and don't forget this time, Ok?" Ri smiled.

"Yes grandpa. I love you." Her grandfather chuckled on the other end of the phone.

"I love you too bug, even if you do cause more trouble than you should." Ri smiled as the line disconnected. Clint was staring at the director and Tony had gone back to the file.

"Stark you wont hack it." Tony turned suddenly and stared at the man.

"What do you mean I wont hack it?" Clint continued to stare at the director.

"It's a ghost file," Clint said. "Its invisible except by eye scan back at HQ." The director met eyes with Clint before glancing back at Tony.

"Why in the hell does that little girl have a ghost file?" Tony demanded. The director sighed and looked at Ri for a second before turning back to the elevator.

"It doesn't matter Stark, but she does. Let her go. I assure you she is safe." Tony was outraged.

"Safe?! She was waving a gun in the lobby of my building!" The director glared at Ri and she had the decency to look ashamed.

"That doesn't matter. I say she is fine, cut her loose. Let Banner look her over for injuries and then let her walk out no more questions asked." Tony looked like a petulant child.

"You aren't the boss of me!" The director smiled at Tony.

"I think youll find that I am…" Tony glared at him and the Director turned towards the elevator. A quiet voice had him turning around quickly.

"Goodbye Uncle Nick!" Fury's eyes narrowed and Ri smiled at him innocently. Tony looked floored, and both Banner and Barton stood stock still with their mouths agape. The elevator dinged and opened, allowing the director to step backwards inside.

"I told you that you could call me that when you were two and cute; not 25 and a pain in my ass." The doors closed as Fury leaned casually against the back wall and Ri let out an involuntary giggle. Uncle nick was always the coolest of her "uncles" and even though she didn't see him often, she knew she could count on him. Turning to the rest of the group, Ri noticed that once again she was the center of attention. Tony looked downright hostile as he stormed off to another part of the lab. The others looked at her speculatively and she sighed. From the middle of the cluttered lab Tony's voice boomed making Ri and Banner Jump. Clint just glared in the direction that the voice had come from.

"Get her fixed up and out of my lab!" Ri sighed; her day was just getting worse and worse.


End file.
